The invention relates to a hand-held shower holding device which has a switch element having an actuation arm which on a first arm end supports a hand-held shower holder into which a hand-held shower is depositable and which under the load of a hand-held shower which is deposited in the hand-held shower holder is pivotable from a first actuation position into a second actuation position, wherein the switch element has a check valve which in the flow direction is upstream of a fluid outlet which leads to the hand-held shower and has a throughflow opening which delimits a valve seat which, in a closed position of the check valve is closed off by a valve closure, and wherein the actuation arm is provided for actuating the check valve.
Hand-held shower holding devices which as a substitute for a bidet are disposed and used in the region of a toilet, are already known. The previously known hand-held shower holding devices serve in providing a hand-held shower which is connected via a flexible hose line to the water supply system. A manually actuatable shower or bleeder valve which is openable for extracting water and subsequently closable again is integrated in the hand-held shower. The fitting body which is most often fastened on the wall beside a toilet bowl has a fork-shaped hand-held shower holder, through the fork opening of which the flexible hose line can be introduced in such a manner that the hand-held shower may subsequently be inserted in a standby position in the hand-held shower holder and deposited there until its next use.
In the case of such hand-held showers which are connected to the water supply via a flexible hose line there is, however, the risk of the hand-held shower being submerged in waste water and for such waste water in the case of corresponding pressure conditions subsequently making its way via the hand-held shower and the flexible hose line into the potable water supply system. In order to address this risk it is already known to dispose an upstream non-return device on the supply side of such hand-held showers, which non-return device prevents waste water being acquired by suction counter to the usual throughflow direction via the hand-held shower and which may be designed as a non-return valve, for example.
Even in embodiments which have been improved in this manner there is the risk that leakages may arise, in particular in the region of the flexible hose line which is prone to ruptures, and that inflowing water may subsequently flow out in an unimpeded manner, in particular when a supply valve which is integrated in the outlet fitting is not closed.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,364,491 A already discloses a hand-held shower holding device of the type mentioned at the outset, which has a switch element having an actuation arm which on a first arm end supports a hand-held shower holder into which a hand-held shower is depositable and which under the load of the hand-held shower which is deposited in the hand-held shower holder is pivotable from a first actuation position into a second actuation position. The switch element of the previously known hand-held shower holding device has a check valve which in the flow direction is upstream of a fluid outlet which leads to the hand-held shower and has a throughflow opening which delimits a valve seat which in a closed position of the check valve is closed off by a valve closure, wherein the actuation arm is provided for actuating the check valve.
In the hand-held shower holding device which has been previously known from U.S. Pat. No. 2,364,491 A1, the check valve represents a directly switching valve which is moved from its open position into the closed position by the weight alone of the hand-held shower which is deposited in the hand-held shower holder. However, the weight of a hand-held shower, in particular one made of plastic and of a correspondingly light weight, is hardly sufficient for keeping the check valve tight in its closed position, in particular not in the case of water flowing to the hand-held shower holding device being under high pressure. Rather, slight leakage flows which may also be acoustically perceptible by a high-pitched whistling noise are to be expected between the valve seat and the valve closure.
FR 1 216 187 A and EP 1 548 344 A1 already disclose various embodiments of a switch-over valve which is usable in a sanitary mixer tap in which, if and when required, hot and cold water is to be mixed in order to obtain water running out of the tap which is at the desired temperature. These previously known switch-over valves are not readily comparable to a hand-held shower holding device in which a check valve which is upstream of the fluid outlet is to be switched depending on whether a hand-held shower is deposited in a hand-held shower holder.